Pipe reconditioning machine



o. R. smrn-i PIPE RECONDITIONING MACHINE June 9, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 27. 1948 INVENTOR. I limar 5ml/h' MM M n June 9, 1953 o. R. SMITH 2,641,003

l PIPE RECONDITIONING MACHINE Filed April 27. 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INI/EN TOR.

BY fifa/M7 June 9, 1953 o. R. sMlTH 2,641,008

PIPE RECONDITIONING MACHINE Fired April 27, 194e 5 sheets-sheet s n4 2 H5 75' 2q /52 3l E 2?@ l 6/ a7 M is I 3 Fig. 4

JNVENToR. 0/i ver R. Smith mwah O. R. SMITH PIPE RECONDITIONING MACHINE June 9, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 y Filed April 27. 1948 Fig. 9

am 4 im n 3 lo lb lo o9 lo NW10 .m um .W 4. 4 z lo 5 INVENToR Oliver 5ml/h June 9, 1953 e. R. sMrn-l PIPE RECONDITIONING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 27. 1948 Fig. /3

Fig /2 I INVENToR. Oliver R.. 5mi/h Patented June 9, 1953 UNITED STATES e TENT :OFFICE y2,641,0(18 PIRE RECONDIllONING MACHINE Qliver R. Smith, Fol-,t .1Worth -Their. Application April-27, 1948, `Serial lia- 23,532

'E Claires. (Cl.

The invention .relates to wa Vpipe reconditioning machine.

An object ofthe invention `is to provide a nia-1 chine of the charaoterdescribed especially adapta ed for use in reconditioning `pipe-:lines preparatory to wrappingthe same.

VThe 4machine has ibeen specially designed for cleaning pipe having a rough or pitted surface, for removing dirt, `rust and scales therefrom, for applying a ycoating material thereto and for vdistributing said Amaterial,unifornily about the pipe .preparatory to applying the Awrapping material to the pipe.

While the machine is particularly useful `in cleaning and reconditioning ,raised pipelines `it is also useful in cleaning pipe, generally, which nas accumulated surface rust or Cother' deposits.

Other objeets and advantages will ,be apparent from the following specification Avhieh is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side ,elevation ofthe machine.

Figure 2 is a planview 4thereof with the motor removed.

Figure 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken on the line 3-3 ofFigu-re f2.

Figure 4 isa fragmentary, cross-sectional View taken on the line 4lv-llV of Figure 1.

Figure -5 isa fragmentary, Afront yelevationof pick supporting ring employed.

Figure 5u isa cross-.sectional viewthereof.

Figure v6 is a rear elevational view of the `ring shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an enlarged, side vlelevation of a toothed disc employed.

Figure 8 is a vfragmentary, elevational view of tionship between the parts vof the bearings and supporting means v'for the inner ends 'of the brush shafts.

Referring now more Aparticularly-to hthe drawings the A numeral vI designates a Vframework as a whole.

ThiVAS ralneworlr co prises ,the top, 4lcmgtudinal Vside Lrnernbr-:rs 2, 1 2 Aconnected. by lthe front and rear orossfbars 4 and similar `bottoni side members 5, ,5 connected by the front and rear eross-bars,6 and `I. The top andbottorn frames thus formed are connected by `the `front and rear vertical beams,8, and 9,;9. This framework is accordingly `vrectangular in crossfsection to re- Ceive, therethrough the pipe it to ne cleaned. This framework is supported on the pipe by the iront and ,rear carrier wheels il, il and l2, i2. Thefrontcarrierlwheels I/ l varerlxed on atrans- Vvjerseaxle It iwhose end s ar e mounted to rotate `in Vtransversely aligned bearings of the hangers if@ whieh ,areixed to and depend from the top of Vthe framework and .the .rear `carrier wheels I2 are fxednairenrerse erle :l5 .Whih .has .bearings in hangereas I .ivhicharealso fixedtoand depend from the top `of the -rnain framework.

One end of the axle I3 is extended andxed thereon there is a ,sprocket wheel il.`

7lvnpurited,on Asuitable transverse beams |8, 18, on the mainframe, thereis amotor I9 ofany -seleted type.

-P ositioned forwardly of the A motor and mountedtortate.in suitable transversely aligned hearilles there gebeft ;f';0-,WhOS Outer @hd has ,a serveert Wheel @l fixed thereon 1aed relieting over said sprocket wheels 2| .and .Il and trans- ,mining rotation from the .former '00 the letter thereiaspmliet Chain 2,2.

The shaft 2 0 may loe operatively connected with and .disconnected `from the `v.I notorin a manner yto be hereinafter described ,and when connected with the :(notoranddriven 4 thereby it willl operate through Ititle 'oh airffI-Z to `rotate the shafty ifand the carrier .wheels Il so asto .propel theen'tire ,maehinealong thepipe it Eas a track. `Thepe v riphery,of the 1 carrier wheels i,l are Yloeveled .to .conform,tothecurvature ofthe pipeand are also serrated ...so .to impr@ readily engage with .the 4 pipe to ypropel fthe y. inacliiriealong 'as ,indicated ,in .Fier-ree Extending longitudinally .oftheframe and se.- eureu ,to the front andrear erase-'bars t and i there is a ,platform 2 3 provided `to suppor'tlfthe `drivin ineoharuni. n

@rotatable ring mmorniedfto rotate within asurrounding ciroularlbraeiet 2'5 .which is suitably ,fired within thefforwardlend of Ythe frame anlsupported on a vrtransverse sup'- freltneabalwrt. @Therme-2x1@ fQlIill nular external ,Sprocket teeth 25, '28 on pposite Isidesof theyloraoket 25 and these sprocket teeth are aligned with corresponding small sprocket wheels 29, 30 which are fixed on a longitudinal shaft 3| which is mounted on the platform 23 and the speed of rotation of this shaft may be controlled by a conventional transmission mechanism indicated generally by the numeral 32. This transmission mechanism may be driven from a suitable shaft 33 which is equipped with a conventional clutch 34 that may be engaged and disengaged by the clutch level` 35. Ring 24 is driven from sprockets 25, 30 through sprocket chains 29a, 30a.

The shaft 33 is operatively connected with and driven from the motor I in a manner to be herelnafter described.

There is an annular anchor 24a on the forward side of the ring 24 and spaced apart around the forward side of the anchor 24a there are the radial pick carriers 36 which are pivotally mounted on said anchor as best illustrated in Figures 5 and 5a and there are the pull springs 31 whose ford ward ends are connected to the upper ends of said carriers 36 and whose other ends are connected to the annular anchor at the rear of said carriers, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

The inner ends of these pick carriers are forwardly turned and said forwardly turned ends carry the inwardly directed picks 38 which are held in yielding contact with the surface of the pipe by means of the pull strings 31 and as said ring 24 is rotated and the machine moved lon- Vgitudinally of the pipe these picks will pass over the entire area of the pipe and will engage and remove scale and other foreign matter and will enter external pits on the pipe removing corrosion and other foreign matter therefrom.

These picks merely give a ,preliminary cleaning to the external surface of the pipe but they loosen up the foreign matter adhering to the external surface of the pipe in preparation for its `subsequent removal.

The rear side of the ring 24 carries an annular anchor 24D which has a series of rearwardly directed spindles 39 fixed thereto. These spindles are placed rather close together, as indicated in Figure 6, and mounted on each spindle 39 there teeth travel about the surface of the pipe and chip off and remove additional foreign matter that may be left on the pipe by the picks 38. The

ring 24 is rotated rather rapidly about the pipe and the discs will vibrate radially relative to their respective spindles due to irregularities of 'the surface of the pipe and obstructions thereon `so. that they will effectively penetrate matter adhering to the surface of the pipe and will follow the contour of the pipe and will very effectively remove a large portion of the coating on the pipe which they encounter.

As indicated in Figure l the bracket is formed of two similar sections whose adjacent ends are outwardly turned and bolted together by means of the bolts 42, as shown in Figure l.

Approximately midway between the front and rear ends of the main frame there is a brush frame which comprises a central circular bracket 43 which is composed of upper and lower arcuate sections which are hinged together at one side by the hinge 44 and which are bolted together at the other side by means of bolts, as 45. This bracket is supported on a cross-bar 45 whose ends, in turn, are mounted on the respective bottom side members 5, 5. The brush frame also includes the end rings 4l, 41 which are also formed of sections hinged together at one side by the hinges 45, 48 and which are secured together at the other side by means of suitable bolts, as 49.

The end rings il? are supported by the corresponding bars 55, whose ends are mounted on the respective bottom side members 5, 5.

Mounted in the brush frame on each side of the central bracket 43 there are the rotatable brushes designated generally by the numeral 5|.

As will be noted from an inspection of Figures l and 2 there are the front and rear series of brushes. The front series rotate in one direction and the rear series rotate in the other direction. Some of the brushes are not shown in Figure l for the sake of clearness but the brushes of the respective series are mounted in adjacent relation and completely surround the pipe l0, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure ll.

These brushes are mounted on similar shafts as 52, as more clearly indicated in Figure 3. There are the series of circular brushes, as 53, mounted on each shaft in spaced relation and whose hubs are keyed to the corresponding shaft to rotate therewith and the adjacent brushes 53 are maintained in proper spaced relation by the spacers 54 between them on the shaft 52. Furthermore it will be noted that the brushes 53 of one shaft are staggered in relation to corresponding brushes of the adjacent shafts. This is indicated more clearly in Figures l and 2; also the brushes may be set slightly diagonally, relative to the axis of the pipe to more adequately contact with the entire area of the pipe as the machine moves along the pipe.

The outer end of each shaft 52 is fitted into a bearing, as 55, carried by the adjacent end ring :l1 of the brush frame and secured to the inner side of said frame there is a bearing assembly 5G with which a bearing 51 has a universal connection; This bearing 51 is clamped to the shaft 52 by a clamp screw 58.

The other end of each shaft 52 projects through a corresponding side flange 43a of the circular bracket 43 and terminates in the polygonal end 59 onto which the driving gear G5 is fitted. This gear is in mesh with, and driven byI a larger spur gear 5I which is mounted to rotate on a spindle E2 which is anchored to the adjacent flange 43a as shown in Figure l0. The inner end of the spindle 62 is formed with an enlarged head 63 and its outer end is threaded through the adjacent flange 43a and a securing nut G4 is screwed onto said threaded end.

The spur gear 55 has an inwardly extended hub 65 whose inner end is reduced and formed into a spindle 66.

There is a yoke 5l having end bearings, one to receive the spindle 62 and the other to receive the spindle 66. This yoke is maintained in place by the head 63 of one spindle and by the retaining washer 63 fitted onto the other spindle and maintained thereon in any suitable manner as by a cotter key 69.

The arrangement above described has been designed for the easy removal and replacement of any series of brushes. For example, should it be desired to remove a series of brushes the corresponding clamp screw 58 may be loosened and the shaft 52 then moved endwise through the bearing v55 so as to cause the opposite end of the shaft to clear the corresponding flange end rings spaced from the bracket, one on each side, series of rotatable brushes on opposite sides of the bracket, said brushes having axial shafts Whose remote ends are mounted in bearings carried by and movable radially of the end rings and whose other ends are mounted in bearings carv ried by and movable radially of the central bracket means carried by the brush frame and operatively connected with said bearings and adapted to move the bearings radially, means carried by the central bracket and operatively connected with the respective series of brush shafts and adapted to rotate said brushes and means for driving said rotating means.

2, In a pipe conditioning machine having a framework shaped to receive a pipe therethrough,

a brush frame supported on the framework and. adapted to surround the pipe, said brush frame comprising, a circular bracket and end rings ar ranged one on each side of said bracket, brush shafts whose inner ends are mounted in bearA i ings in the brush frame bracket and whose outer ends have spherical bearing connections with the brush frame rings, said brush shafts being mounted for longitudinal movement in their bearings to facilitate the mounting and demounting of the brushes and releasable means Afor securing each shaft against such longitudicomprising, a circular bracket and end rings arranged one on each side of said bracket, bearings carried by the brush frame bracket and adjustable radially thereof, brush shafts whose inner ends are mounted in the bearings on the brush frame bracket and whose outer ends have spherical bearing connections with the brush frame rings, said brush shafts being mounted for longitudinal movement in their bearings to facilitate the mounting and demounting of the brushes and releasable means for securing each shaft against such longitudinal movement.

OLIVER R. SMITH.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 290,998 Otto Dec, 25, 1883 1,020,789 Armstrong Mar. 19, 1912 1,176,452 Hubbell Mar. 21, 1916 1,368,816 McNulty Feb. 15, 1921 1,406,047 Mikshel Feb. 7, 1922 1,473,582 Leedom Nov. 6, 1923 1,611,920 linzback Dec. 28, 1926 1,646,088 Green Oct. 18, 1927 1,718,757 Morris June 25, 1929 1,887,853 Jinnett Nov. 15, 1932 1,898,964 Jinnett Feb. 21, 1933 1,962,404 Nichols et al June 12, 1934 2,064,577 Thayer Dec. 15, 1936 2,112,825 Converse et al Apr. 5, 1938 2,152,036 Froh Mar. 28, 1939 2,218,913 Hughes et al Oct. 22, 1940 2,238,720 Duaei et al. Apr. l5, 1941 2,260,783 Morley Oct. 28, 1941 2,307,449 Carpmail Jan. 5, 1943 2,423,684 Collito July 8, 1947 2,438,099 Cummings et al. Feb. 17, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 403,970 Germany Oct. 9, 1924 

